New Mexico spadefoot toad in Albuquerque, NM showing vertical pupil of eye; photo by J. N. Stuart on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).
Official State Amphibian of New Mexico
The New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata) was designated the official state amphibian of New Mexico in 2003. The spadefoot toad is found in all of New Mexico's 33 counties. All State Amphibians
New Mexico spadefoot toads remain underground until rains fill low areas with water. Distinguished by eyes with vertical pupils that sit close to the top of its head and small, hard, wedge-shaped structures on the hind legs used for digging into moist soil, spadefoot toads vary in color (between gray, brown or dusky green).
The voice of the New Mexico spadefoot sounds like a fingernail running across the teeth of a comb. When threatened, the New Mexico spadefoot toad emits an odor said to smell like roasted peanuts.
